


Sunset Tequila

by supernovainparadise



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Because I need to get away from my actual job and this is the easiest way to do it, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Deviant Upgraded Connor | RK900, Explicit Language, Friends to Lovers, Gavin Reed Redemption, Gen, Good old fashioned who-dun-it in tribute of agatha christie, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Murder Mystery, Mutual Pining, POV Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Perkins is back and he finally gets what he deserves, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Slow Burn, Summer Vacation, Surfing, The closest we ever get to sex is a description of foreplay, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has a Different Name
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:09:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 18,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24331105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supernovainparadise/pseuds/supernovainparadise
Summary: "... We need a vacation.""Do we even have time for that?""We'll make time."What seems to be the perfect getaway in a charming seaside town in California takes an unexpected twist when a the town's richest man washes up on the beach. When a mysterious FBI agent shows up with a familiar and not so welcome face, can they all join together with two of the DPD's best, two androids, and the local department to figure out who killed Aldritch Whitaker and still find time to enjoy their vacation?
Relationships: Connor & Josh & Markus & North & Simon (Detroit: Become Human), Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900, Connor/Gavin Reed, Hank Anderson & Connor
Comments: 21
Kudos: 65





	1. Summertime in Northern Michigan

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Too Close to Home](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23950582) by [TheDarkivist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkivist/pseuds/TheDarkivist). 



> I NEED A BREAK. So enjoy this fun little mystery. With luck, I'll stump you before the end!
> 
> Chapter title is from "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock

The converted warehouse that was now New Jericho was _stifling_. So much so, that it made Connor wish he had politely told Markus he couldn't help out today just so he could sit in front of Hank's fridge with the door open while the Lieutenant yelled at him about wasting power, before he would join him and Nines fainted very dramatically onto the cold tiles of the kitchen, only to have Sumo lay on him with his entire body weight.

Yeah, that sounded like a _much_ better way to spend his day off. Not very productive, but in this heat, was anyone?

He wasn't at risk for overheating, but that didn't mean he enjoyed the way that his systems had to work overtime to keep his thirium from evaporating from his system. He could practically hear his fans working overtime. It made him a little self-conscious if he was being honest. Wasn't his system supposed to be top-notch, second only to Nines? Maybe it was just his own annoyance that made the fans sound so much louder than usual. He bit back a sigh and resisted the urge to fan himself with his hand. A shame there was no paper in the meeting room...

"-so perhaps it would be best to approach this from the top down." Markus concluded, looking out at the rest of his 'inner circle', and _oh shit I missed all that_.

Luckily, it seemed like Connor wasn't the only one who had spaced out. North suddenly started a bit, blinking back into reality. Josh shook his head in an attempt to clear it, then stared blankly at the table in front of him. Simon shot up from where he was leaning on his hand so fast that Connor heard something pop. Markus simply looked out at them, a fairly amused expression on his face as they all stared guiltily back at him. But instead of getting angry, Markus merely smiled and shook his head.

"... We need a vacation," he huffed with a laugh.

"Do we have time for that?" Josh asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We'll make time," North said, grinning and slamming her hand down on the table. "After everything that happened this winter? We deserve it!"

The other chuckled, endeared by her enthusiasm. Connor felt himself warming to the idea; it would be nice to get away from not only his part-time job as Security director for Jericho but also as a Detective in the DPD. A week or so just doing something else, such as continuing his exploration of deviancy and everything that came with it. Beyond that, Connor had never been outside of Michigan, aside from a very short visit up into Canada to catch a suspect before they crossed the border... which they did anyway, leading to a massive problem since technically Connor and Nines had arrested him in Canada, but the crime was in Detroit, but he'd made it to Canada and both RK models had illegally crossed the border. The resulting mess had taken weeks to sort out, and Connor had been half convinced the whole time that Captain Fowler would fire them both. Thankfully it never came to that, but it was the start of Nines's disciplinary folder, and yet another page in Connor's, which was thankfully still rather slim. Especially when compared to some other members of the DPD...

Either way, the idea was a good one, and Connor was quick to ask if he could invite Nines, which was met with relative enthusiasm. The meeting was adjourned, and Connor was free to go for the day.

Unsurprisingly, when he got back to Hank's house, he found the Lieutenant all but asleep on the couch with every window open and the ceiling fan running, and Nines laying despondently on the carpet. Connor raised his eyebrows and silently requested a connection, his LED flashing yellow as he did so. Nines accepted the link without question, his own LED flashing as well.

_Why are you lying on the floor?_

**_Warm air rises. Basic thermodynamics._ **

_Understandable, but I think it's ALL warm air at this point._

**_Perhaps I have employed the placebo effect and convinced my systems that the air down here is cooler._ **

_I see. ... Does that appear to be working?_

**_Not anymore, since someone had to come along and ruin it..._ **

Sumo looked up absently from his spot on the tile and gave Connor a soft _boof_ in greeting, tail wagging slowly. Connor smiled as he walked over and scratched the dog behind the ears before working off the buttons of his dress shirt and tossing it into the washing machine, leaving him in his dress pants and undershirt as he also kicked off his shoes and tugged off his socks, before taking the only empty spot on Hank's sofa. The Lieutenant muttered something that Connor assumed was a greeting as the android wirelessly started the television, flipping to the news channel.

Nines turned his head to the side so he could stare blankly up at the television. Connor envied him a bit; he was dressed in a tight-fitting tank top and a pair of workout shorts. The Lieutenant hadn't even bothered to get dressed; he was still in boxers and his sleep shirt. Connor sighed, silently wishing that he'd gotten a lazy day where he didn't have to wear business apparel in this ridiculous summer heat. He reestablished the connection with Nines as the newscaster went on about some new android law going into effect.

_The group at Jericho wants to plan a vacation._

**_A vacation? Where to?_ **

_I don't know. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing. They said you were welcome to come if you like._

**_Really? I'd... like that, I think._ **

Connor felt Nines push some amount of gratitude through the line and smiled softly. Beside him Hank grunted and shifted his position. "Are you two doing your weird telepathy thing again?"

Connor chuckled softly. "Yes, Hank. I was just telling Nines that our friends at Jericho wanted to plan a vacation."

"Jericrew's finally getting out of Detroit, huh?" The Lieutenant said, yawning and stretching. "Good. I think that'll be good for you lot. Taking your brother with you?"

Connor nodded, but frowned softly. "'Jericrew'?" He inquired, looking at Hank, who merely shrugged in response.

"Every squad has to have some sort of silly nickname," Hank responded, before pushing himself up off the couch with a soft groan. "It's a right of passage."

Connor merely sighed, and Nines rolled his eyes a little bit from his position on the ground. "Your humor only grows worse with age, I'm sure of it."

"That stung, kid." Hank commented, setting his hand above his heart with an over the top frown. Early on in his deviancy, when Hank did such things, Connor would take him far too seriously and that lead to a bit of emotional distress. Since then, Connor had gotten used to the dramatics of both Hank Anderson and RK900 #313 246 317-87 aka Nines. 

Honestly, he didn't know what life would be like without those dramatics.


	2. I Can Buy the Sunshine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter's title is from Summer On You by PRETTYMUCH!
> 
> Also please forgive me it's been several years since I've been to California, so I'm using the excuse that it's 2039 to hide my ignorance.

Connor and Nines watched in quiet awe as their plane descended over Los Angeles, and they both caught their first view of the ocean. The biggest body of water Connor had ever seen was Lake Erie, but it paled in comparison to the sun shining off of the Pacific.

"Wasn't LA supposed to fall into the ocean, like, ten years ago?" North muttered beside him. Simon snorted softly, and Markus shook his head.

Connor, despite the urge to tell her that it had been improbable that due to the San Andreas fault that the City of Angels would simply disconnect from the rest of the mainland, held his tongue and enjoyed the view as the skyscrapers and beaches faded into view as the plane descended towards the airport, landing smoothly on the tarmac, before gliding to a stop near the gate. Connor quickly referenced his interior clock, which told him it was only 2:03 PM. An impressively short flight, since they left 11 AM. Years ago, the flight would have taken over four hours, but the technology of 2038 shaved off approximately an hour and thirty minutes.

The 'Jericrew' (Connor was loath to admit it, but the nickname was pretty good) joined the subdued chaos to grab their carry-ons and exit the plane, stepping through the gate and into the sunny airport. People and androids milled throughout the space, chatting amiably and the receptionist at the gate sent them a warm smile. Connor noted that she was an ST200, a model he had a certain fondness for. He wouldn't be deviant if it weren't for that particular Chloe model. He noted that her nametag designated her as Cathryn, and he gave her a gentle smile in return as he trailed after his friends towards the baggage claim to pick up the rest of their stuff, slipping past irritated businesswomen and foreign travelers marveling at the number of androids buzzing around them. Connor didn't miss that sometimes people would point towards their group and whisper under their breath, eyes wide. At this, he would often duck his head in an attempt to hide his face as he trailed after Markus and the others; the attention still made him nervous...

After reclaiming their bags from the baggage claim, Connor's interior clock informed him that around half an hour had since passed and ten minutes after that they stepped out of the airport and into the bright sun of California, shining over the leaves of palm trees and off the hoods of the automatic cars. A quick search told Connor that, aside from Detroit, Los Angeles had the highest rate of usage of automatic cars in the United States, and California had been one of the first states to put Pro-Android laws into effect. They stepped fully into the street, and Josh wirelessly signaled a nearby taxi to take them to the nearest Car Rental. A few short minutes later, they pulled up to the shop and stepped out. Markus and Connor were the ones who stepped in, Connor playing the role of guard dog, as was typical, while the others chatted outside.

The AV500 working the front desk looked up from his monitor and sent them a bright grin. "Good Afternoon! How can I help you two gentlemen?"

Connor felt his shoulders relax a bit at the obviously deviant attitude as Markus stepped up to the desk. "Hi, I have a reservation for 2037 Grey Ford Transit?"

The AV500 (who Connor can see is named Jacob from his nametag) nods and quickly types in the information before glancing back up. "What name is it under?"

"Should be under Markus Manfred."

Jacob quickly interfaces with the program, then grins up at him. "Alright, I see you've already paid Mr. Manfred! The car will be pulled up front and the keys handed over in just a moment! Enjoy your drive; it's supposed to be a beautiful day today."

Markus thanks him, and they join the others out in the sun. A few moments later, the van pulls up and a woman steps out, and hands the keys to Markus before heading back into the building. The six androids load their bags into the van, before climbing in themselves with Markus in the front seat. He starts the ignition and then interfaces with the car to plug in his destination and start the radio, which switches onto the national news. The car automatically begins to pull away from the curb and carefully slips into the LA traffic, the map on the dash showing the path that leads to their destination, a small coastal town quite a ways south. The group is quiet for a little while as the car traverses the city streets towards the coastline. The only noise is the soft hum of the engine and the newscaster;

" _Good Afternoon, America. Today we have updates on the development of the Android movement and the conflict in the North. We have it on good authority that due to the deviancy spread among the U.S. and Russian troops the conflict in the Arctic has dramatically slowed, and experts now say that there is a high chance it will cease altogether. What this will mean for Androids in both countries regarding Thirium supplies is yet unknown..._ "

"Good on them," Josh mutters, leaning back in his seat. Connor hums softly in agreement and after that a slow conversation starts up as they ride down the highway. The topics range from Simon's bad music choices to Connor's _worse_ music choices ("Screamo does not count as music, Connor." "Fuck you, Markus.") and eventually, after a bit of bickering and awful puns courtesy of North and Nines, the van pulls up to their beach house in the small town of Del Sol Cove, California.

The house is comfortable, consisting of six separate bedrooms, three of which have balconies overlooking the ocean. The deviants pile out of the car, excited to be out of the van after the long drive. Connor's internal clock informs him that it has been approximately 3 hours since they left LA, and is now 5:30 PM. They drag out their bags, and North, Nines, and Connor are quick to claim the rooms with the balconies, while Simon, Markus, and Josh humbly take the other three. The rooms are somewhat small, about the size of an average hotel room, but each has its own small bathroom and looks out from the landing onto the open plan living room. Everything is in soft whites and blues, and Connor feels immediately at home.

They all agree to freshen up and meet in the living room before they spend the evening exploring the town, and Connor is more than happy to toss off his simple t-shirt and shorts and change into something more becoming. The outfit was comfortable, sure, but he very much preferred to be smartly dressed than casual. Connor tugs out a pair of fashionably distressed cut-off jeans, cuffed so they fall a few inches below his knees, and a sky blue button-up shirt, the sleeves of which he rolls above his elbows and unbuttons so you can see his collarbone. It's a good look, he thinks as he runs a hand through his curls in the mirror with a grin.

Twenty minutes later, the crew meets up in the town square. They all agree to meet back up in an hour, before heading their separate ways to explore. Nines hits the beach, a towel slung over his shoulder, Josh heads for the museum, Simon and Markus decide to head for the pier, and Connor goes to look at the local shops. The summer sun is still high in the sky as Connor makes his way down the boulevard across from the beach, glancing at the signs of local businesses.

The first that catches his eye is the small bookshop, the door propped welcomingly open. He's seen only a handful of other book stores that still sell real books, and he remembered that each had their own unique charm, so he steps inside. Immediatley, he's hit by the smell of old paper and fresh coffee. The young woman running the front desk looks up at him and grins.

"Not from around here, are you?" she asks.

Connor spins on his heel, and blinks, then smiles softly. "No. I guess you could call me a tourist of sorts?"

The girl laughs, and sticks out her hand. "Not a problem; we love tourists around here, so long as they're the good natured sort. My name's Maisie, but everyone just calls me May."

Connor shakes her hand. "Connor. Do you own the bookshop, May?"

She shakes her head, and leans her arms on the counter. "Nah. The place belongs to my mom, and her mom before that. It'll be mine after she's gone, but I doubt that will be for a while." She pauses, and eyes his LED. "Are you an actual android?"

Connor, suddenly self conscious, reaches a hand up to brush against it, causing a few different popup options to appear in his HUD. "I am..."

May suddenly grins and leans closer to him. "That's so cool. We only have like, three androids in town. There used to be two others, but they left after the revolution went down. Wanted to see the world, they said. I've always wanted to learn more about androids, and I think they get annoyed of my constant questions."

Connor chuckles at that. "I'm more than willing to answer any questions you have, May."

May lights up at that. "Okay, first question then. Have you ever met Elijah Kamski?"

"I have. He's... eccentric, to say the least."

"Is he as reclusive as everyone says he is?"

"Sort of? He does talk to people outside of his bunker, but only like three people and two of them are androids and I know all three."

May grins a bit. "You have to introduce me if you can. Okay, next question..."

Connor isn't sure how long he's there answering her questions, but by the time he leaves with a new book in hand, the sun is beginning to sink below the sea and Connor checks his internal clock to see that he was supposed to meet up with the others about five minutes ago. Tucking the book under one arm, Connor makes a run for the town square.

* * *

Connor and Nines lean on the railing of the balcony outside Connor's room, watching the colors reflect off of the waves in companionable silence. The wind tousels Connor's curls, and pushes Nines's bangs out of his eyes, which seem even bluer than usual in the golden light. Connor leans over and gently elbows his brother, who raises an eyebrow at him.

"Quarter for your thoughts?" he asks, lip twitching up at the inside joke.

"Just... content. It's nice to be doing something that doesn't involve chasing down idiotic humans and androids all day, nice to be someone other than RK900, ace detective." Nines mumurs, smiling gently.

Connor hums in agreement, looking out at the waves and leaning his shoulder against his brother's.

Of course, the temporary peace was too good to last.


	3. I Cannot Hide in Hills of California

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is from "I Think I'm OKAY" by Machine Gun Kelly, YUNGBLUD, and Travis Barker.
> 
> Also maybe, possibly, DEFINITELY inspired by @NohrianxScum's fic Too Close to Home here on ao3. Go read it. It's not finished but it's so good. 
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/23950582/chapters/57601078

Connor starts his day early, and he's up and at 'em before anyone else in the house. He decides to hit the beach before everyone else wakes up, and before the day can heat up enough that the stretch of golden sand will become busy. The sun rising over the water is a wonderful bonus to his early morning, and the sand under his feet feels incredible. It makes him very grateful that he's a deviant; he wouldn't be able to experience this otherwise, wouldn't be able to appreciate it.

He walks along the shore for a time, before he spots something ahead in the tide, lying on the sand. He frowns and approaches slowly, his scanners working overtime to analyze the scene in front of him. As he gets closer, Connor realizes that it's a person lying in the sand. Breath catching in his throat, he runs forward, feet slipping in the wet sand and tide. He reaches the figure, a well-dressed man, and carefully turns him onto his back and checks for a pulse... Nothing.

He quickly uses his internal phone to dial the emergency number...

" _911, What's your emergency?_ "

"I'm on the beach of Del Sole Cove, there's a man here on the beach. My sensors tell me he's been deceased for at least two hours."

" _Alright sir, is it alright if we connect with your systems in order to pinpoint your location?_ "

"Yes, that's just fine..."

* * *

About ten minutes later, two cruisers and 4 cops arrive on the scene while Connor paces a rut in the sand behind them. His systems, able to connect to any police database in the world, identify all four of the officers. Two are just Uniforms, and one is a detective by the name of Lukas Wilson, and the other is Del Sol Cove's Chief of Police Esme Wilds. Connor silently files the information away as Detective Wilson approaches him, looking grim.

"You were the first one on the scene?" the man asks, brushing a lock of dyed ruby red hair out his face.

Connor nods. "Yes, Detective. My name is Connor, model RK800."

Wilson raises an eyebrow at that. "'RK800'? You're that investigative model? Thought there were only a few of you..."

"Only one, technically. I have a successor, RK900, who you might be thinking of." Connor responds, fidgeting with his coin in his pocket.

Wilson looks him up and down, and then turns back to the area where Chief Wilds and the others are working. "Hey, Esme, come here a sec!"

Chief Wilds scowls and walks over, frowning at her detective. "Aren't you supposed to be questioning our witness here, Wilson?"

"I was about to, but this plastic's one of those detective models." Lukas says, and Connor bristles at the term.

It isn't that he isn't used to being referred to as plastic, but rather the change in association with the word. Whereas it was once an insult, used mostly by Detective Gavin Reed and (early on) by Hank, the term had changed over time to one of... endearment? Friendliness? He wasn't sure, but Gavin used it in a joking sense, poking fun at both Connor and himself. When Detective Wilson used it, his tone contained none of the warmth or humor that he had grown to associate with the nickname. It was demeaning.

Chief Wilds ignores Lukas's comment, and instead looks at Connor with new interest. "You're the RK800? The one involved in the mess in Detroit?"

Connor nods, and his oral sensors become unusually dry. "Yes. You can call me Connor, but I'll answer to Eight if you would prefer." He hated "Eight" as much as he hated the term "deviant hunter"...

Esme looks at him for a long moment, then nods and says "Connor it is. Piece this together for me then, Connor. What do you think happened here?"

Lukas huffed and shook his head, before turning around to interact with the other two officers and Connor took the brief moment to scan the Chief.

According to his database, Esme Wilds grew up practically on the border of Mexico and America to Mexican parents. She attended the Police Academy in San Diego and was assigned here in Del Sol Cove, where she swiftly climbed the ranks to Chief of Police. She had black hair chopped into a slightly messy pixie cup, and was dressed in dark blue jeans, a simple v-neck, and combat boots. She was intimidating in stature, with broader shoulders than most women and standing at six feet tall, which put her two inches above Connor. Connor silently filed her data aside, and glanced back to the crime scene with a soft frown, LED spinning yellow.

"My first guess would be an accident. Tumbling off a cliff into the water at night, falling off a boat without a lifejacket. My second is Suicide; he jumped from somewhere."

"And the third?" Esme asks, eyebrow raised. Connor notes that she has a small scar there, visible as it carefully slices through the otherwise articulate (on fleek, as North would say) brow.

Connor frowns slightly. "Murder. He was pushed or thrown into the water."

Esme nods and smirks a bit. "My money's on murder. Son of a bitch had it coming."

Connor looks at her in slight surprise. "Did you know the man, ma'am?"

Esme nods, and frowns back at the scene. "Richest guy in town. Not sure how he got the money, just knew he liked to lord it over everyone else here. And if foul play is involved like I think it is..." Esme sighs, and rubs at her temple with a scowl. "We only have one detective on staff, and four officers and the Sherrif's department here in the county couldn't give less of a shit about us. I'm working with a skeleton crew."

"I'd be happy to assist if you suspect foul play, ma'am," Connor says quickly, and Esme shoots him a quick smile. He adds, "and so would my br- _successor_ Nines. He was built with the same purpose as myself in mind, and we're both detectives stationed in Detroit."

Esme gives him the first real, genuine smile he's seen all day. "That's two more detectives than we had before, and sophisticated androids at that." But the smile quickly fades. "But you two can only cover so much ground, and I have the feeling Lukas may not be cooperative. And we need someone else to help keep things straight..."

Connor suddenly lights up, and flashes Esme a grin. "I think I could bring some more help in if you'd like."

Chief Wilds laughs, "Connor if you can work that miracle, consider this case already solved."

Connor merely smiles and nods. "I'll dial them right away, Chief!"

* * *

Connor, after making a call to his precinct back in Detroit and arguing with Captain Fowler over the phone line for quite a while ("You want me to send two of my best men _where_?"), heads for the bookshop, where he finds May sipping her first cup of coffee and thumbing through a new novel. She grins up at him as he walks in. "Hey, Connor! Welcome back! Not already looking for a new read, are you?"

Connor gives her a tense and shakes his head. "Unfortunately not. I'm hunting for clues, it seems. I was wondering if you could tell me anything about Aldritch Whitaker?"

May rolls her eyes and shoves a bookmark into her book, setting it inside. "Yeah, he makes me stock his stupid autobiography here. I read it to see what makes him think he runs this town, and it was _awful_. Super pretentious."

"Can you give me an outline? Tell me the basics?"

May nods, and leans onto the counter, frowning in concentration as she tucks a lock of brownish hair behind an ear. "Well, he supposedly got rich off of this big tech company he made shortly after AI really took off. Managed to get it pretty big, before the mighty Elijah Kamski himself offered to buy it for a hefty sum. The book claims that he offered him a billion dollars for it, but I'm pretty sure that the actual price was only half of that. He says he invested a good chunk of the money and continued to gather himself a hefty estate from the stocks." She rolls her eyes a bit, before glancing out the window towards the beach. "Owns the big mansion on the hill, I'm sure you saw it if you drove in from LA. Owns a bunch of sports cars and stuff. Used to have an android, but I think he got rid of them quite a while ago. Don't know if he replaced them."

Connor frowns, and follows her gaze. He did see the mansion from the van as they headed up, a massive modern building sitting on a cliff overlooking the ocean. If Whitaker really owned that house, it could definitely account for his death, but he'd need to get a closer look to be sure.

Best done one he had some backup on his hand, in the form of DPD's best officers...


	4. Character Profile: MAISIE JAX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda sorta wanted to really do this, so let me know what you think? Just a brief writing on each of the major side characters I introduce to this story, starting with my favorite so far; Maisie AKA May! If you hate these tell me and I won't do any more, lol.

NAME: Maisie "May" Jax

BORN: 05-12-2014, Los Angeles, California

EMPLOYED AT: _Sandy Paper Books,_ Del Sol Cove, California

_Sandy Paper Books_ is property of Katie Jax, Maisie's biological maternal parent

APPEARANCE: 95 lbs // 5' 3" // _Hair-_ Brown // _Eyes-_ Hazel // _Race-_ Caucasian White

MAISIE "MAY" JAX is a spunky twenty-five year old who grew up in Del Sol Cove. She runs the front desk of her mother's bookshop, _Sandy Paper Books_ , and plans on inheriting it after her mother eventually retires. She's naturally fairly tan from the amount of time she spends on the beach, and the effect is exaggerated by her many, _many_ freckles. She grew up with a certain fascination in technology, particularly in androids after they became more common. She spent many of her teenage years learning as much about them as she could, and daydreaming that she would one day work at Cyberlife. Alas, with the revolution that was never to happen, though by then May was content to help run the bookstore with her mother, Katie. 

May knows a great deal about Del Sol Cove, from both her exploration of the area over her years there and from the vast number of books she has read over the years, many of which were written about the history of the area. Due to the small size of Del Sol Cove, she also knows quite a bit about the town's residents. If you have a question regarding anything about the place, Maisie Jax is a fairly good choice to field those questions to.


	5. Need a Little Controversy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title of this one is from "Without Me" by Eminem.

Backup arrived the next morning, but it was far from the warm reception Connor was expecting. When Hank and Gavin stepped into the small building that housed Del Sol Cove's tiny police force, the looks on their faces were somewhere between grim and pissed off. It didn't take long for Connor to figure out the answer to that, and judging by Nines's red LED and bared teeth (why, exactly, did Cyberlife feel the need to sharpen his canines that much?) he was no happier than anyone else in that room.

Because, walking in just behind two people that Connor actually wanted to see, was one person he and the rest of Jericho had hoped to never see again; FBI Agent Richard Perkins, trailed by a handsome young man, who was checking something on his phone.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Nines spat, and Connor was taken aback. He had never seen his brother so angry.

Perkins frowns up at Nines, "I'm here to supervise. That's what happens when you drag in officers from other parts of the country; the FBI gets involved too."

"Coulda swore he lost his job back after the shitshow in November, but whatever..." Gavin mutters as he glares back at the older man. "This is fan-fucking-tastic."

Connor and Hank, to their credit, were the only ones who managed to hold their tongue. Connor was quietly impressed that the Lieutenant didn't just immediately punch Perkins in the face, and he was infinitely grateful North wasn't here; she may have just stolen a gun and shot on sight. He wouldn't blame her either, even if he would be forced to detain her; Perkins had been responsible for the destruction of Jericho, the death of countless androids, and almost ended the revolution. He wasn't particularly popular among Connor's friend groups.

Without another word to the four DPD officers, Perkins swiftly made his way to Chief Wilds's office, and Connor purposely ignored the smirk Detective Wilson sent his way. As he opened his mouth, intending on debriefing the others on what had happened, the other agent that had come in with Perkins approached them with a soft, apologetic smile.

"I'd like to apologize for Agent Perkins behavior, detectives." He said in a soft, [transatlantic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEqesVTEFPM) accent and _rA9 he's good looking..._

Soft, wavy blonde hair swept out his face to reveal glittering blue eyes and high cheekbones. Connor's sensors told him that the man's face was perfectly symmetrical and- _snap out of it Connor!_

"Not your fault, kid," Hank grunted, crossing his arms. "What's your name?"

"You can call me Atticus," the agent offers and Connor has to resist the urge to outright sigh. 

Apparently, he must really look starstruck because Nines elbows him in the side and initiates an interface.

**_All your systems running smoothly, RK800?_ **

_My systems are just fine, thank you very much!_

**_Are you certain? That blue tinge to your face suggests you're overheating..._ **

_... Get out of my head, you meddlesome twerp._

**_Better a twerp than a twi-_ **

_Fuck you._

**_My, such aggressive language... And towards your little brother, at that!_ **

By the time Connor manages to come to his senses, Atticus has already followed Perkins into the Chief's office, and Hank and Nines are both smirking at him while Gavin is already bothering Detective Wilson about the case, who looks less than pleased to have been woken up from his nap. Connor's sensors tell him that Gavin's heart rate has gone up a few BPMs and his posture is unusually stiff. Connor quickly chalks it up to Gavin being upset about the presence of the FBI meddling in a case he was taking; there was nothing Gavin hated more than being cheated of a case, _especially_ by the Feds.

* * *

Connor and Nines waited by the front door of the mansion to be let in and were soon greeted by one of what must be the only two androids in town, a somewhat tired-looking AP700, and she eyed them with a great deal of suspicion as she reached up to brush a lock of dark hair out her eyes.

"... Can I help you two gentlemen?" she asks, and Connor has to physically stop himself from wincing in sympathy.

Luckily, Nines speaks for him. "Yes, we're here to speak to Laurene Whitaker about the unfortunate death of her late husband, Aldritch. Does she have a moment?"

The AP700 stares at him for a long moment, before sighing and stepping aside, silently waving them into the foyer. Both take a moment to wipe the sand from their shoes on the welcome mat before stepping onto the tile. Connor takes a moment to look around, noticing how well furnished the house is. He even thinks he recognizes a painting or two from Carl Manfred, Markus's adoptive father... They are just as impressive as the rest, he notes.

The android reappears from the recesses of the house, and Connor has to physically resist the urge to snort out a laugh because the woman is the perfect example of every gold-digger mourning wife stereotype he has ever heard of. She has long ginger hair, styled into perfect curls and her green eyes drip with tears that seem more rehearsed than genuine. She's also dressed in a long silk dressing gown and it takes everything Connor has not to immediately slap handcuffs on her because _are you kidding me?_ Judging by the poorly hidden bemused look on Nines face, he's having the same thoughts. Luckily, Connor manages to pull himself together and sends Mrs. Whitaker a sympathetic smile as she leads them into the sitting room.

"I'm terribly sorry about your husband, Mrs. Whitaker. I imagine it was quite a shock to hear the news..." Connor says softly, leaning forward a bit to get a better look at her.

Mrs. Whitaker sniffles and wipes her eyes very dramatically, blinking her unnaturally long eyelashes as though fighting off more tears. "I so appreciate the sentiment, dear. It's been such tragedy..."

Connor offers her a tissue, and she takes it gratefully, dabbing the paper beneath her eyes. "That's very unfortunate, Mrs. Whitaker. Could you perhaps tell me more about your husband..?"

She nods, and they spend far too much of the day listening to Laurene Whitaker play her part as the grieving widow, and come out of the house with only the thought that she has something more to hide. At Hank's request, all four investigators agree to meet up at a location he's chosen, which turns out to be a retro-style diner tucked on the edge of town, with blinking neon lights and a vibrant interior. A jukebox in the corner plays fifties music, currently tuned to "Sh-Boom" by The Chords from 1954. Gavin seems a little amused by the choice of venue, while Nines seems rather fascinated, his LED spinning yellow as he takes in the scenery.

The four of them find a comfortable looking booth in the corner, and the waiter comes up to take their orders. Hank, unsurprisingly, orders a burger and fries with a cream soda, Gavin gets a slice of key lime pie ("Gavin, pie is not a suitable meal choice." "Pie is an amazing meal choice I have no idea what you're talking about"), Nines politely declines anything, and Connor decides to put his new digestive upgrades to the test and gets a strawberry milkshake. While they wait for the waiter to return with their orders, they begin to go over the details of what they found.

Hank reports that he learned that Aldritch had only one child, a son by the name of Oliver whom he's estranged from. Gavin informs him that he spent most of the day dodging Agent Perkins but did manage to find out that the man has owned multiple androids over the years, going through each once suspiciously quickly... Nines and Connor briefly go over their encounter with Laurene Whitaker, and her obviously rehearsed facade. While they certainly have a clearer picture regarding the man, they have only a few pieces to the mystery that is his death, and none of them are corner pieces.


	6. Character Profile: ESME WILDS

NAME: Esme Wilds

BORN: 12-03-2005

EMPLOYED AT: Del Sol Cove Police Department, Chief of Police

APPEARANCE: 170 lbs // 6' // _Hair-_ Black // _Eyes-_ Brown // _Race-_ Hispanic

ESME WILDS was born in a small town just outside of San Diego, California, and just above the US-Mexico border. Her family was relatively poor, but after getting assistance from a local police officer in her time of need, Esme was determined to offer the same help to other people, setting her on track to become the youngest police Chief California has ever seen. Granted, part of this quick rise to her position was due to the negligence of the officers in the department when she first started out of the academy.

Esme demands the best out of her officers, and though they may often butt heads, she is greatly respected by both her men and by the town as a whole. However, she is known to have a vendetta against one Aldritch Whitaker, due to an incident involving heavy narcotics that Whitaker bribed himself out of...


	7. Jealous of the Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "Jealous" by Labrinth.
> 
> Also, what would a Convin fic be without GAVIN'S. RIDICULOUS. PINING. And I want to apologize for the constant switching of tense I am HORRIBLE about that, even if I have been writing for like 10 years.
> 
> Brief POV change to Gavin at the end of the chapter because Connor is kind of an oblivious little shit.

Connor finds himself on the beach again, his feet bare and the breeze rustling his curls as he stares out over the water. It's not as pleasant as it was last time, the memory of the corpse washed upon the shore playing in his mind. It's a funny thing to think about when locals and tourists alike run across the sand or bathe in the sun or play in the surf. He spots Gavin at a surf shop on the edge of the beach and approaches him. Gavin turns as he hears the footsteps on the sand behind him and sends Connor a grin.

"Hey, tin can! What's up?" he asks, voice jovial as he turns his attention from the rental boards and unimpressed teenager running the kiosk.

"Not much. Just taking a moment away from the case to enjoy the sun... I'm finding it difficult, though." Connor admits, and Gavin grunts in agreement.

"One hell of a case. I know that Whitaker's son is coming back to town to help his mother plan the funeral. Hank mentioned that he was going to talk to him." Gavin mutters as he eyes the boards. "You know anything about surfing, Con?"

Connor looks up at the surfboards and frowns. "Unfortunately not. I wasn't aware you surfed, detective."

"Huh? Oh yeah, Eli and I grew up on the coast of Virginia, near a really nice little surf spot. Used to spend every day off in the summer out on the waves. Eli never got into it, though." Gavin says, and the teenager running the stand suddenly sits up.

"'Eli'? As in Elijah Kamski?? I thought you looked-"

"You know what, I'll try that one!" Gavin says loudly, interrupting the teenager and slapping his card down on the counter and pointing to a sleek looking silver and blue board in one of the corners.

The teenager seems miffed that Gavin blew off his question, but pulls the board down and takes Gavin's card. Connor says a quick goodbye, not wanting to stick around in case the teenager decides to press the issue further. Maybe he should join Hank in questioning the Whitaker heir? Just as he's considering it, he spots the handsome FBI agent, Atticus, down the beach talking to a local with a tablet in hand, and _oh wow he's even more handsome than I remember..._ The sun shines off his hair, and his eyes seem to be reflecting the ocean. Connor has to physically stop himself from sighing aloud, but instead of approaching him just... stops and stares for a moment.

Unfortunately for Connor, Atticus spots him staring and sends him a quick smile, before wrapping up his conversation with the local and _walking towards Connor_ , who's about to have a panic attack.

Before Connor can make his escape, Atticus is standing before him and Connor has to stop and marvel at the tall man's speed. He has to resist the urge to fake a swallow and smiles shyly up at the FBI agent. "Good Afternoon, Atticus."

"Good afternoon yourself, Connor!" he says with a slight laugh as he reaches up to rub the back of his neck. "I know we're both on the job, but I have a question I just have to ask you..."

Connor feels his eyes widen and nods rapidly, not quite trusting himself to speak. Atticus merely shoots him an amused and endeared look.

"Would you like to, I don't know, maybe grab drinks this evening? Just the two of us?" He quickly raises his hands, looking nervous. "I know you're an android and all, but the bar I was thinking of is right on the beach and serves drinks designed for androids and I think you're really cute and-" Atticus sighs and cuts himself off. "And I'd like to make it a date."

Connor is pretty sure he's going to short circuit. That all his systems are just going to reset and force him to forget everything from the last year and he's going to embarrass himself with "Hi, I'm Connor, the android sent by Cyberlife" but somehow he managed to pull himself together just enough to say "that sounds incredible!" and the smile Atticus shoots him with straight, white teeth makes Connor weak in the knees. Atticus gives him a quick goodbye and tells him he'll see him tonight as he sets off and Connor thinks to himself that it shouldn't be possible for anyone to be quite that flawless...

* * *

Connor wasn't sure what to expect from Oliver Whitaker, but he was somehow even worse than his mother and grumpier than even Hank. Connor had never felt such a strong desire to deck someone in the face, with maybe the exception of Perkins. Oliver answered their questions in as short of sentences as possible and kept his hands shoved in his hoodie pockets the entire time. Beyond that, he refused to make eye contact with either Hank or Connor. Connor was able to guess that he was only 19 years old, and from what he said was estranged from his father, only returning to Del Sol Cove to try and "get a piece of the inheritance". He reminded Connor a little bit of Markus's "brother" Leo, at least in the way Markus described him before he made up with his father Carl.

Connor was not at all surprised when Hank gave up and they left the mansion with little new information. The pair chatted a bit as they made their way down the road on foot back to town.

"Goddammit this case feels fucking impossible." The Lieutenant muttered, and Connor felt rather inclined to agree.

"We have established a couple of suspects, though." Connor pointed out.

"Right, money-grubbing family members... Gold-digger wife and asshole son." Hank scratched his beard thoughtfully, staring ahead at the ocean. "Could be they worked together?"

Connor shrugged. "Always a possibility. But you're forgetting a suspect, Hank."

He turned and gave him an odd look. "Forgetting someone? Who?"

"Chief Esme Wilds." Connor says simply, clasping his hands behind his back. "I looked into the man before, and though his record is clean, he did go to court some time ago regarding the position of pure Colombian Cocaine. The case was unexpectedly dropped by the judge, and a news article came out suggesting bribery was involved. It featured an interview from Chief Wilds in which she stated that she would 'stop the problem where it started'."

Hank blinks at him for a long moment, then sighs and drags a hand down his face. "That could just mean she was going to get him arrested again with different evidence."

"Still, we cannot rule her out." Connor pointed out, glancing up at where the sun was beginning to slowly slip through the sky and felt his heart lurch in his chest with excitement. "Do you need my help for anything else this evening, Lieutenant."

"Nah, pretty much done for the day..." Hank side glanced at Connor and frowned. "You look like you're up to something."

Connor shrugs and is unable to keep the grin off his face. "I have a date with Atticus tonight."

To his surprise (and slight disappointment), Hank crosses his arms and says, "that man's bad news, Connor. You shouldn't go."

Connor turns and shoots him a glare. "Why? Because he's working with Perkins?"

"That's certainly part of it..." Hank mutters darkly, his frown deepening. "But that's not everything. Nines doesn't trust him either."

Connor throws his hands up and turns fully to face his father figure, stopping dead in his tracks. "Not every FBI agent is the same, you two know that right?! Just because he _happens_ to be with Perkins doesn't mean anything!"

"Connor-"

Before Hank can get another word in edgewise, Connor storms off down the hill, fuming.

* * *

Gavin should've just ordered the room service at the hotel he and Hank were staying at. Should have chosen a shitty movie from whatever streaming service the place offered and gotten a bottle of cheap tequila and margarita mix to waste the afternoon with. But no, he told himself that he should go out on the town... Visit the only actual bar in the place and order a real margarita with salt on the rim and everything, sipped his drink while watching the waves, and reminiscing about his teenage years and summers past.

Should've just ordered room service.

He'd spent the last 20 minutes intermittently texting Tina, his brother, and watching Connor make eyes at Perkins's lapdog. Tina had told him to grow a pair and tell Connor how he felt, which he should have done _ages_ ago, and Eli had told him that if it mattered that much he should try asking Connor out himself. He'd told both of them that they could go fuck themselves, to which Tina had replied with an emoji, and Eli had told him that he knew he was right. Gavin silently thought he would never, _ever_ tell Elijah to his face that he had been wrong, especially not where his androids were concerned.

That was something that was particularly bothering him tonight.

Gavin had never really hated androids, not like everyone assumed he did. He found them a little off-putting, but largely just said "live and let live" and pretended they didn't really exist. At the time, it was mostly due to him trying to avoid painful memories associated with his brother and the development of the first android, Chloe. He'd always been really into art, and Eli had asked him to help come up with a design. It was eerie, seeing Chloe models even now, knowing that he had ultimately chosen what she looked like.

He'd only lashed out at Connor the way he did initially because he was scared. Because he had worked _so hard_ for his job at the DPD, and at the time it was the only thing he really had. The idea of it being ripped away from him, by an android or a human, terrified him. He'd have been left with nothing. Luckily for him, that hadn't happened, and after Connor deviated he reverted back to ignoring him. Then he and Connor had been assigned to a Red Ice case and he found out that Connor was actually fucking hilarious and the rest... the rest was history.

He sighed and ripped his eyes away from the date to observe the bar. It was open air, with glassless windows who's wooden shutters were pinned back and covered in greenery. Succulents, ivy, flowers, whatever... Everything was painted in bright, tropical colors and Latin music played over the speakers. The smell of coconut rum filled the bar, and it was crowded with residents coming in after work to have a drink and ignore the rest of the world in favor for sitting on the deck and staring out at the moon hanging above the ocean.

It was a romantic sight, Gavin thought with a lurch in his stomach. And he watched Connor lean in closer to Atticus, grinning up into his eyes as the moon shone over his skin and illuminated every freckle and Gavin had never wanted to be the object of his attention so bad before. He wanted to be able to lean in and capture Connor's soft lips with his own and trace each freckle with his calloused fingers. He wanted to convince him to let him take a sketch of him, something Gavin hadn't done in ages. He wanted to lay him out on the sand, hands trailing up his hips and down his thighs... He wanted to know if Connor was _equipped_ and with what... He wanted to make love to him on the beach and-

Gavin _c'mon..._ His sappy romantic side even seemed to filter into his thirstier thoughts too. Fuck, he had it so bad. It wasn't even all about sex. He just wanted to be closer to Connor...

Instead, Gavin downed the rest of his margarita, handed the android working the bar a twenty (way too high of a tip, given that the drink was only 5 bucks since it was happy hour, but the poor guy had put up with Gavin's mooning all evening), and headed back towards his hotel, where he knew exactly how he would be spending the next hour or so before slipping into dreams that would cause him to wake up with guilt filling every bone in his body.


	8. What If You're Someone I Just Want Around?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title of this chapter is from "Falling" by Harry Styles.
> 
> Also, major spoilers for "Murder on the Orient Express" in this chapter, oddly enough. So, uh, yeah. I did say in the tags that this was a slight tribute to Agatha Christie, right?
> 
> I'd like to apologize for how dialogue heavy this chapter is gonna be.

"So who are our suspects so far?"

"Oliver Whitaker, Aldritch's son, Laurene Whitaker, his wife, his AP700 who told me she's never been paid, and..." Connor hesitates, glancing up from the data he's pulled up directly on his hand and looking across the room at Chief Wilds.

To his surprise and relief, she gives him a soft smile. "I know; I'm a suspect too."

Lukas Wilson scowls back at the Detroit investigators. "Seriously? The chief of police? What, did they program you with an automatic-"

"Don't event try to sound like you know the first thing about androids, asshole," Gavin says lazily, frowning at the whiteboard. "Nines here will just correct you and then you only have 5 seconds to run before he comes at you with a bazooka or some shit."

Nines LED spun yellow and he frowned at the detective. "A bazooka would be rather unhelpful, detective. It would be far more prudent for me to simply snipe him."

Hank snickered under his breath and Connor grinned behind his hand. Perkins, on the other hand, was less than amused. "You're barely allowed a service weapon, android, let alone a sniper rifle."

Nines ignores him, but Connor notices that his LED flashes red for a second, and for that alone he has half a mind to reach over and slam Perkins's head into the table. He manages to resist the urge, but just barely. He sees Atticus shoot him a sympathetic look and feels his shoulders relax a bit, but misses the glare that Nines, Hank, and Gavin all send the FBI agent.

"Could be they're pulling an orient express," Hank mutters, "all of them had some hand in how he ended up in the ocean."

Esme huffs out a laugh as she looks at the white board. "I can promise you, Lieutenant Anderson, I might have motive to kill Aldritch, but the last thing I would do is team up with his family to kill him."

"Could be every other suspect but you involved, then." Gavin says, grabbing one of the markers and walking up to the board. "AP700 contacts the son, and he makes a plan with his mother to get the inheritance and promises the android a piece if she assists... They lure him either onto the balcony or out on the cliff and shove him over. Looks like it could be an accident or suicide, and they all walk away with a piece of the estate, and life insurance to boot."

"How do you know he has life insurance?" Perkins grunts, and Gavin turns to give him a bored look.

"You joking? Guy this rich, someone's got a payout with the insurance company on him." Gavin says, and when Perkins continues staring at him he rolls his eyes and says, "plus I asked the local insurance place. I try and keep all my bases covered."

Atticus frowns up at the board, and steps closer, simultaneously getting closer to Connor, who thinks his thirium pump might beat out his chest. "Or it could simply _be_ an accident. I know ruling foul play out is important, but sometimes even rich men fall off of balconies, especially if they've been drinking." Everyone turns to look at him, and Atticus suddenly starts and says, "oh yeah! The autopsy results came back in!"

There's a mixture of sighs and groans from the rest of the room, and Perkins cuffs him along the ear. "Seriously? Why wasn't that the beginning of this briefing?!"

Atticus rubs the spot Perkins hit and frowns up at him. "It slipped my mind; I was distracted..." He glances at Connor as he says this, and the android feels himself turn a vibrant shade of blue.

The rest of the briefing is dedicated to said autopsy report. The blood report said that Whitaker was heavily intoxicated when he fell into the water, and it ultimately attributed his death to drowning, though some evidence of blunt force trauma was found from hitting the water. The death was attributed to "unnatural causes", but it was up to the police to figure out what that unnatural cause was. Whether he had simply fell over the railing, fallen or jumped off the cliffs below, or been pushed into the water... All of which was just as likely as the last theory. Though the fact that Aldritch was intoxicated lended more credit to the idea that it might be an accident. Connor frowned at the statements given by Laurene and Oliver; Laurene claimed she'd simply woken up to an empty bed, and Oliver said he hadn't even been in town the night it happened. And, fortunately for Oliver, it seemed he was correct. The plane ticket he provided said that his flight had come in the night after the body was found, so his alibi lined up. There was really no way to verify Laurene's story, except for the AP700, who had remained stone silent and whom Connor didn't feel comfortable probing; he knew what it did to already distressed deviants, had had others threaten it upon him.

This case was going nowhere; everyone involved had a solid alibi, or an alibi that couldn't be verified as either true or untrue, and Connor had the distinct feeling that pushing for one would only land him in a whole heap of trouble. For every step forward they took, they seemed to take two or three back even with the large number of people working the case. The only case Connor had faced so far that had been even half as frustrating had been the deviant case, and he hadn't even really solved that one. Considering he was now a deviant.

After a little while longer of tossing theories and lining up alibis and motives and ideas, they decided to just call it a day and give everyone the rest of the day to do as they please. Perkins muttered something about the city, and Hank peeled out without another word. Atticus shot Connor a soft smile, then turned and followed Perkins out as Esme grabbed Lukas by the collar and dragged him out of the room, leaving just Gavin, Connor, and Nines. The RK900 shot Gavin a meaningful look, then stepped out of the room, presumably to follow Hank.

Just Connor and Gavin.

Gavin coughed, a little awkward, and turned towards the android. "Got any plans?" Connor simply shook his head, trying to choke down his disappointment at Atticus's lack of offer. Gavin paused for a moment, before giving him a little smile. "Do you want to learn how to surf, Con?"

Connor was surprised just how late it was when they stepped out of the police department and began making their way down to the beach. Connor quietly thought to himself that he was glad that he wore his swim trunks underneath his clothes this morning, a habit he had grown into in the time since they'd reached California. The sun continued to track down in the sky by the time Gavin had rented two boards at the kiosk from the usual irritable teen, and lead them out to the edge of the sand as people packed up and headed back to wherever they were staying. Instead of heading out into the water like Connor thought they would, Gavin stopped at the edge of the tide and dropped his board into the sand with a grin.. 

_and then proceeded to strip off his clothes._

Connor suddenly felt like he'd been blind for _way_ too fucking long, because Gavin was very, very attractive. Tousled dark hair, greenish gray eyes that seemed to glow in the sunset, taut well-defined muscles in his back and chest, olive toned skin dotted with scars, a dark line of hair trailing from his chest down, and... _down_.

Okay, so he found Gavin physically attractive. That's fine. He's good looking. But he's a friend. _That's it_. _Tell yourself that as many times as you need to, because it's never going to happen. Not with that history._

Gavin turned to him and raised an eyebrow, and Connor quickly stripped down to his own bathing suit, then followed Gavin's instruction to stand next to the surfboard.

"Every surf lesson starts on the sand... and ends in the water." Gavin begins, and they spend the next few minutes practicing stances and balancing on the board while it sits safely on solid ground before Gavin lets Connor pull his board into the water until it's floating high enough that he can sit on it.

Gavin follows him out, and motions towards an incoming wave with a cheeky grin. Connor takes a steadying breath he doesn't really need, and paddles towards the wave, waiting for the swell to pick up the board and...

"I'M DOING IT!" He laughs, standing carefully on the board with his knees bent slightly as the wave carries him across the surface of the ocean. He hears Gavin whoop loudly from where he sat on his own board.

Connor and Gavin each took a few more waves, before they ended up floating in the calmer waters. Gavin was splayed out on his back, staring out at the darkening sky while Connor sat up and watched the sun sink below the waves, occasionally sneaking a glance at the detective. Gavin, unfortunately for Connor, catches him staring and shoots him a devious grin.

"Like what you see?" Gavin asks, teasingly, gabbing his thumb into his chest.

Connor, to his credit, manages to pull himself together and laugh. "I'm just waiting for you to fall of your board."

"That's cold, tin can. Ice cold."

Connor smiles at the familiar banter, and for just one second lets himself live in a world where that banter comes with more strings attached, comes with domesticity and.. something else. An emotion Connor can't quite identify. For just one moment, he pretends that his date with Atticus wasn't with Atticus at all, but was instead with a certain dark haired, confident, brash detective who he could never actually have.


	9. Character Profile: LAURENE WHITAKER

NAME: Laurene Isoldir Whitaker

BORN: 04-20-1992

UNEMPLOYED

APPEARANCE: 97 lbs // 5' 3" // _Hair_ \- Ginger Red // _Eyes-_ Green // _Race-_ Caucasion White

LAURENE ISOLDIR WHITAKER is known to be a fantastic ex Broadway actress and an even more fantastic gold digger. Aldritch Whitaker is her second of two husbands, and the first unceremoniously divorced her some time in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. She met Aldritch at a country club in Northern California, and claimed it was love at first sight. Most people around town figure that she fell in love with his Rolex, not his appearance or personality, given he doesn't have much to give with either. She's often seen around town harassing poor retail employees and wasting her husband's money on increasingly more ridiculous items, from yachts to ancient bottles of wine to 25 karat diamond jewelry. Everyone agrees that she seems to have several different personalities, and no one is quite sure _who_ Laurene actually is.

The rumor mill around Del Sol Cove suggests that Aldritch Whitaker may have been sleeping with several of the younger women around town, though no one can offer any measure of certainty on these suggestions...


	10. Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "Vacation" by The Go-Go's! It also reflects my current mood!
> 
> Chapter ends in Nines's POV!

Connor, Nines, Gavin, and Hank had been given the day off to do whatever they like. An entire day, free of the investigation as Esme worked through the details of the case with (ugh) Perkins. Connor was determined to spend it on the beach, surfing and sunning himself like a cat. Hank was planning on seeing what else the town had to offer, Gavin just wanted a siesta, and Nines was merely trying to figure out who to trail for the day. Connor had told him he didn't need to trail anyone, that he could do his own thing, and he's pretty sure he's seen puppies look less lost. Thankfully, the Jericrew (dammit the nickname's stuck!) told him he should spend the day with them, and Nines was all too happy to oblige. Connor would never say it aloud, but he worried about his little brother sometimes...

The sun was warm on his face as he and North set up the picnic blanket on the sand. North shoved the beach umbrella in the sand on top of the corner of the blanket, keeping it from flying away. North flopped down onto the blanket as Connor made his way across the beach to the surfing kiosk. He was somewhat surprised to see who had beaten him there...

"Hey, Connor! Long time no see!" May said cheerfully, turning on her heel to grin at him. 

Connor's internal clock told him it had only been 26 hours, but Hank had told him that not everything needed to be answered with exact numbers, so Connor simply smiled in return. "It certainly feels like it."

May grinned up at him, before turning back to the kiosk and the usual kid running it. "Didn't know you surfed."

"I'm still learning," Connor admitted, his face tinged slightly blue.

They chatted for a bit, and Connor rented the same beginner's board he'd been using before heading for the water. He knew it would be easiest just to download a program on surfing, but he quietly thought to himself that it would be far more fun to learn by hand. As he approached the waves, he glanced out and saw Simon, Josh, Markus, and Nines playing Chicken in the shallow surf. Simon was perched on Markus's shoulders and grinning maniacally at Josh, who was sitting on Nines's shoulders and hanging on for dear life. Connor had to physically resist the urge to laugh aloud as he took a running start into the waves, just like Gavin showed him.

The beginning of the afternoon passed by, dare Connor even think it, _swimmingly_. He started learning new tricks and getting bolder on the waves, though he did wipe out a handful of times. Each time he fell off the board, he would climb back on, determined to try the trick again until he could keep his balance. He was on the largest wave he'd tried yet, just within the curl of its crest, running his hand through crystal waters, when he heard the sound of the bell from the lifeguard's tower on the beach. He almost lost his footing again but managed to ride the wave back to the shallows, hopping off and heading for the sand, where he noticed the wind starting pick up. North and the others were packing up their beach supplies, looking downcast as they watched the storm roll in. Dark, ominous clouds spat out lightning on the horizon, and Connor felt his thirium pump sink... this was supposed to be a fun day off, damn it! But instead, they made their way back to the beach house.

Connor had just finished getting changed when his system received a text message from Atticus;

 _Atticus:_ _Hey, guessing your beach day got cut short, huh? :(_

_RK800 #52: Unfortunately. It looks like I'll be spending most of the day sitting inside, wishing the rain would leave._

_Atticus: How about another idea? Meet me at the bar before the storm hits, I've got a surprise for you... ;)_

_RK800 #52: Sounds tempting. Isn't it dangerous to be out there, though?_

_Atticus: What's life without a little danger? It'll be worth it, I promise._

Connor couldn't help but smile a little bit; some time with Atticus sounded exactly like what he needed today. He grabbed his jacket out of the closet where it was hung neatly, and darted down the stairs, towards the door, and almost out when-

"Where are you going?"

Connor froze and bit back a curse, turning on his heel to see Nines standing in the living room, hair still wet from his shower and LED flashing yellow. "Out to the bar."

Nines frowned, and his LED blinked red. "You're going to meet Atticus."

Connor felt the all-too-familiar heat of anger spread to his face. "Yes, I'm going to meet with Atticus. What do you and Hank have against him anyway?"

A flash of irritation crossed Nines's face before he schooled his expression into the usual cool indifference he showed when he got upset. "He's not telling you everything, Connor."

"He doesn't need to!" Connor snapped his face heating further. "What does it matter if I don't know his whole life story--" Connor paused taking in a breath he didn't need before continuing. "It's never bothered you who I've taken to bed before!"

"Trystan was a genuinely good guy and the SWAT member was a one night stand," Nines said, voice cold enough to freeze over Connor's circuits. "This isn't about you having intercourse with him, it's-"

"Yeah right." Connor hisses, taking a step backward towards the door. "I'll have sex with whoever I please!"

"If this were just about sex I wouldn't be worried!" Nines shouted, LED now fully red and no longer hiding the hurt and frustration he feels. "Connor he's been lying to you, this whole time, and I'm afraid-"

But Connor wouldn't hear any more. Without another word, and still fuming, he turned around and opened the door before stepping out into the dark skies and whipping wind and slamming the door hard behind him.

"... I'm afraid of what I know he's capable of..." Nines whispered as the wind seemed to howl louder and thunder rumbled overhead.

* * *

Connor made his way through the growing storm in a manner that only an android was capable of, soon making it to the beachside bar, and wrenching the door open. The atmosphere was vastly different here than the last time he'd been here. The shutters were closed tight, and only a few people nursed drinks, casting wary looks towards the shaking walls. Connor easily found Atticus waiting for him near the bar, a thirium-based drink already in hand. Connor took it from him with a grateful smile, taking a long drink as Atticus watched, leaning against the bar.

In two droughts, with only a brief pause between, Connor downed the entire drink and set the glass down on the bar a little too hard. A pleasant buzz filled his systems and he took a deep breath and sighed, his shoulders relaxing. "I needed that..." Connor muttered.

Atticus sent him a sympathetic smile. "I can tell. Any reason why?"

Connor sighed and drummed his fingers absent-mindedly on the counter. "I had a fight with my brother before I left the beach house."

Atticus rested a gentle hand on Connor's shoulder, and he felt an odd jolt go through his systems. "I'm sorry. Nines clearly means a lot to you."

Connor merely nodded and pushed down the rising frustration he felt. "It's okay." He looked up at Atticus and smiled. "You said you had a surprise for me?"

"Sure do. It does require going out into the storm for a moment, is that okay?"

Connor swallowed the sudden burst of nerves and nodded. "For you, I'd brave any storm." The line was cheesy, but it seemed to work judging by the grin Atticus sent him.

* * *

Nines stared out the window, his whole body heavy with fear and sadness. He heard footsteps behind him, and a moment later Markus settled in next to him. "Penny for your thoughts?" the older RK model asks, reaching out a skinless hand with the intention to interface.

Nines hesitated for a short moment, before retracting the skin from his own hand and placing it gently in Markus's. They sit like that for a moment, Nines's LED flickering between red and yellow. After a bit, Markus gently pulls away and looks up at Nines, setting his hand on his shoulder. "Connor is more capable than we often give him credit for, Nines..."

Nines, frustrated, shakes off his hand and stands. He can feel a strange stinging in his eyes, and something wet slip down his face, and he realizes he's crying. "It's not Connor I'm worried about... It's Atticus."

Markus blinks at him slowly. "What about him?"

"He's not who he seems." Nines simply says, wrapping his arms tight around his chest.

"People rarely are-"

"I know that!" Nines said with a loud sob. "But he's not a normal person! He's an android-- a deviant. And..." Nines looks up into Markus's face, now filled with shock, and chokes out, "and I'm sure he's the murderer!"


	11. I Can Hear the S I R E N S

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title is from "Sirens" by Fleurie.
> 
> ~~We're in the Endgame now.~~

"You're certain that this AX500, Atticus, the same FBI Agent who's been assisting Agent Asshole here in the case, is the murderer?"

Nines took a deep breath and nodded. "Absolutely, Lieutenant. Cyberlife's records show that this particular model was purchased several years ago by Aldritch Whitaker, but was reported as being accidentally destroyed less than a year after its purchase. And Atticus's records as an FBI agent only date to January of this year. Most of his documents are forged, as is common with many deviants." Nines then turned to Perkins. "And you said it yourself that he only met up with you in LA, and you've never met him prior."

Perkins swore loudly and slammed a fist down onto the table. "God fucking dammit. I've been working with a fucking plastic-"

"Watch it," Hank hissed, and Perkins quieted, reaching up with one hand to absently rub at the bridge of his nose. "I'd be willing to bet anything he was trying getaway. Gavin and I only came in the morning after, as did you. And you said you picked Atticus up in LA the night of the murder. Must've been the wrong time and wrong place for him, otherwise, he'd have gotten away."

"But that still leaves one pretty fucking important question," Gavin said, brows knit tight with worry. "What does he want with Connor?"

* * *

A short ride in one of the town's only two automatic taxis and a carefully tied silk blindfold later, Connor found himself being lead up a set of stairs and through a set of doors, only to be lead up more stairs as thunder rumbled outside and rain began to lash against the side of whatever building they were in. Connor's auditory sensors also picked up the sound of waves crashing against the rocks somewhere nearby.

After a little while more of walking, Connor heard a door click closed and the blindfold was carefully removed. He glanced around, and his excitement quickly faded as he realized where he was... He'd only glimpsed the inside of this room when interviewing Oliver Whitaker, but he recognized it as the master bedroom of Whitaker mansion. Why had Atticus brought him here?

Connor laughed slightly and turned towards Atticus. "The crime scene? I was expecting more-"

"-rose petals and coconut oil?"

Connor froze. That was _exactly_ what he had been thinking, word for word. It had been a euphemism that his first sexual partner had used. _How did...?_

"How did I know that?" Atticus finished, flashing his perfect white teeth in a brilliant smile back at Connor.

"... You're reading my processors." Connor said, feeling all his thirium drain from his face. "But that means you'd have to be an android..."

Atticus's smile gets bigger, and it's starting to become a bit creepy. As if he timed it, a bolt of lightning crashes into the ocean nearby. "Tell me, Connor, you're one of the most advanced androids ever created. Your entire purpose is to solve the crimes that most humans cannot. What do your advanced sensors tell you?"

Connor feels his entire mouth go dry and knees go weak. Because Atticus is right; he's known all along. His sensors had provided words like perfect, and symmetrical, and flawless... But he had ignored it, unbothered by the fact that Atticus was deviant. Who really cared what Atticus was? So long as he gives him the love he'd been craving for so long, but could never really get, especially from the one person he wanted it from? Even if the small clues he'd dug up point in the way of an android... The tired AP700 who seemed uncaring about her employer's death, Gavin's findings of the multiple Whitaker androids, the fact that Aldritch had known his killer due to no sign of either forced entry or a scuffle... All of it lined up with the murder being done by a previous android of Whitakers. And Atticus's statement under the Cyberlife files he'd briefly combed when identifying the AP700... That he was destroyed back in 2034, the police files that said "Atticus" had never actually been an FBI agent.

Nines's fear when Connor said he was going to meet up with Atticus.

"... What are you going to do to me?" Connor asked, and his plastimetal limbs want to seize up. In the dark of the room, the only light comes from the fierce lightning outside and Connor's blood-red LED.

The AX500 sighs, and glances back towards the balcony. "Nothing particularly awful, don't worry. I've never had a taste for the macabre, despite my... rough handling in the past." Atticus turns back to Connor, who swears he sees something like remorse in the other android's eyes. "But I knew it wouldn't be long till you figured me out. And you've been so close to me this whole time, it would be so simple for you to dig into my memory." Atticus sighs and turns on his heel, fully facing the balcony now. "... I didn't come back with the intention of killing Aldritch, you know?" he whispered, hands clenched tight. "I really just wanted closure. But he was drunk, and he threatened me again and so I..." Atticus swallows hard and looks out at the crashing waves. "I threw him off the balcony. The same thing he did to me, almost five years ago now."

"Atticus..." Connor whispered, "it doesn't have to end like this. You can turn around and-"

"And _what_ Connor? I know you mean well, but you and I both know that new laws or not, I'll be _destroyed_ for this. And even if you want to let me go, someone else will put the pieces together eventually! No, this ends here... with you."

* * *

" _Are you quite certain that these speeds are safe, detective?!_ " Nines shouted from behind him, voice slightly muffled by their helmets as the motorcycle climbed the hills at speeds of over 100 miles per hour.

"I'm one hundred percent certain they are definitely NOT safe, Nines!" Gavin yelled back, hitting the throttle a little harder. He's going to have to pry his fingers from the handlebars when they get to the mansion.

"... perfect!"

Gavin laughs, and he feels Nines shift behind him, rearranging his grip on Gavin's shoulders as they rocket towards the cliff. Gavin skids to a sudden stop directly in front of the front doors, and he and Nines both leap off the bike and fly up the steps. Gavin is just reaching for the door handle, when a silhouette appears high above, illuminated by a bolt of lightning.

_"CONNOR!"_

Nines whips around, looking at him in alarm as his LED flashes red. Gavin pauses, then turns and sprints for the cliffs, shouting at the android over his shoulder; "take care of Atticus! I'm going after him!"

"Gavin you will get yourself killed-"

* * *

Connor continues to back away from Atticus, who is steadily advancing on him. He knows that he could easily win this fight, but he looks into Atticus's blue eyes and quietly think about the shared drinks, the laughs, and the constant kindness Atticus has shown him thus far and he can't find it in himself to initiate that battle... Just keeps letting Atticus push him out onto the balcony, into the pouring rain. Connor feels his back pressed against the railing and makes the mistake of glancing down...

The sea is dark, illuminated only briefly by the flashing of lightning high overhead. He swears that somewhere in the distance he can hear police sirens, but they're far enough off that Connor knows they will never get there in time. Instead, he turns his eyes back to Atticus, who is standing just before him.

"Please, Atticus... You can still be saved..." Connor whispers.

Atticus glances over his shoulder, and Connor sees that remorse much more clearly. "You know, I barely managed to survive my plunge off this balcony, and that was in calm waters... Old Albritch definitely didn't survive his own drop. Of course, you're made of stronger stuff than either of us... But those waves should take care of that."

Connor knows that the waves are crashing against the rocks, and he looks up at Atticus, noting the other android's high-stress levels. He's seen too many situations like this before... Daniel, Carlos Ortiz's android, Markus, even himself... Too many times that everything is on the line, and it begins to build to a fever pitch. Connor can feel his own stress levels beginning to rapidly climb, the threat of the choppy waves below promising a painful end. And before Connor can try and convince Atticus to let him leave, the android grabs him by the collar and throws him over the railing and over the edge of the cliff, into the water below.

The feeling is strange; ever since he fell off that roof back during his first field mission, he's been afraid of heights. But this time, he doesn't feel a sense of fear, just... loss. A sense of profound grief and sadness takes him instead. He'll never get to hug Sumo again, never get to lecture Hank on his drinking habits again, never joke around with Chris and Tina again, never see Nines fully understand his own sense of deviancy, never tell Gavin how he really feels...

He hits the water. It feels like he's hit the concrete again, and then he's sinking into the cold depths, his body too shocked from the sudden impact to tell him that he needs to stay afloat, that he needs to swim to survive. Almost immediately, several warnings pop up. One for his auditory processors, which sustained mild damage judging by the ringing he can hear, one for the sudden water intake into his systems through his mouth (Connor's model was not made for underwater endeavors, not like this), and one for the cold slowly creeping through his thirium lines. And as Connor watches the storm become more distant, as he sinks beneath calmer waters, he quietly hopes that everyone can get along without him there.

* * *

Gavin hopes and prays that he's low enough when he jumps into the water that the impact won't hurt too badly. He tosses off his leather jacket, grabs his pocket knife from his back pocket and sticks it between his teeth, and then takes a running jump off the edge and dives smoothly into the water below, all the while the sound of sirens blares in the background and Nines screams at him from the cliffs. If he was being judged for that dive, he hopes it was a perfect fucking ten.

The water is cold, cold enough that Gavin almost immediately regrets his decision. He feels his limbs start to seize up and forces himself to keep going. To push forward, down into the water. He twists his body, trying desperately to find Connor and...

 _There._ The red of his LED. Gavin swallows his relief (and almost his knife with it, nice going dumbass) and treads through the water. He can feel his lungs start to burn as he reaches Connor. He's relieved that he doesn't need to use his knife, doesn't have to cut anything free and risk cutting Connor. He grabs Connor under the arms, and kicks towards the surface, bursting out into the choppier waves, and holding Connor close as he looks for the shore, desperation eating at him as he shoves his pocket knife away.

* * *

Nines curses and sprints back towards the manor, before shoving the door open and running into the main entrance. He reaches the living room with high speed to find Laurene, Oliver, and the AP700 who refuses to tell them her name tied up in chairs from the dining room. The AP700 just kind of sits there, bored, while Laurene looks at him in terror and Oliver shouts behind his gag. He quietly notes that they're there, and says "Someone will come to untie you in a minute" before sprinting up the stairs to the master bedroom, where he runs almost directly into Atticus. Judging by the expression on the android's face, he didn't expect to run into him.

"How did you-?!"

Nines merely tugs out a pair of handcuffs and tries to shove his anger down, lest it takes him over. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future-"

"No.. It can't end like this. It can't be over!"

Nines continues over him, "-if you cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. If you decide to answer any questions now without an attorney present, you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney."

The handcuffs clamp down and Nines leads Atticus down the stairs. When he reaches the bottom, he can see the red and blue of the lights flashing through the window, and Esme has freed the Whitakers and their android. She nods approvingly as Nines walks past, out the door, and shoves the AX500 into a squad car, shutting the door a little too hard behind him. Then he turns his attention to the ocean, fear gripping his thirium pump as Hank comes running up.

"Where's-" The lieutenant cuts himself off, following Nines's gaze to the water. "Dear God..."

* * *

Gavin manages to find a rocky ledge low enough to haul himself and Connor out of the water. He's shivering hard once he's on the rocks, Connor lying beside him as he sits on his knees and coughs. Gavin casts a glance at the android and feels the cold penetrate deep into him. "Connor..." he chokes out, crawling over to the android. His LED is barely there, a faint circle of red as the storm finally begins to subside. He rests his hand on the side of Connor's face, heart beating so hard and fast he's sure it'll stop.

"I NEED HELP! PLEASE!" Gavin shouts, hoping that the weather has broken enough that he can be heard.

"Gavin-!" The reply is distant, but it's something. He tugs Connor off the rocks and onto his lap, into his arms.

"C'mon, Connor... You can't leave me like this. Not like this." He whispers, voice hoarse from the saltwater and exertion. "Not like this..."

The sound of sirens grows closer, and he hears footsteps on the rocks behind him. Hank curses loudly, and Nines skids onto his knees beside them, his hand flying up to rest on Connor's dim LED. Nines's own LED cycles between yellow and red, and he looks up at the two DPD officers. "It's the cold; it's damaged his thirium pump. He needs to get warmed up, _now_." 

Gavin tugs Connor even closer, before bracing himself and standing with the android tucked into his arms. He's surprised at how light he is in his arms, and it's rather alarming as he carefully jogs after Hank and Nines towards the road, where the ambulance waits, trying to ignore his own violent shivering. The EMT comes to take Connor from him and Gavin pulls back, arms tight and fear flashing. The EMT pauses and glances towards Hank, who sighs.

"Let him go with. He's a stubborn son of a bitch," Hank mutters, but Gavin can see the concern in his eyes. "Besides, he should be warmed up and checked out too, while you're at it."

The EMT merely smiles and leads Gavin over to the ambulance. Gavin steps inside, and only then allows Connor to be removed from his arms. Everything begins to blur at that point, and before he knows it, he's fallen asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliche and overdramatic chapter is cliche and overdramatic, but give me this. I never get to write overdramatic stuff.
> 
> Also, picking on my boy is always made a little too easy, sorry Connor... :(


	12. Character Profile: OLIVER WHITAKER

NAME: Oliver Whitaker

BORN: 02-22-2020

STUDENT at Standford University

APPEARANCE: 100 lbs // 5' 9" // _Hair-_ Dark Brown // _Eyes-_ Green // _Race-_ White Caucasion

OLIVER WHITAKER is the only child of Laurene Isoldir Whitaker and Aldritch Whitaker. At only 18, he left for college, and all but completely cut ties with his family. Angry at his father for ignoring him most of his life for his investments, and angry at his mother for never giving him the independence he craved. Oliver is quiet and withdrawn, even among his peers at Standford, and prefers spending his days wallowing in his own self-pity. He returns after the death of his father, not to pay his respects, but to simply claim his money and leave, planning on escaping California altogether to travel the world using his inheritance.


	13. Can't Keep His Wild Eyes on the Road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "Style" by Taylor Swift! Also, my boys finally get what they deserve!!!
> 
> Another dialogue-heavy chapter, so sorry about that in advance!

"So he killed Aldritch out of revenge, then?"

"That's right. Although, I wonder if he didn't intend to kill him. Perhaps only shock him..."

"You can't see the good in this asshole forever."

"I know, I know. Anyways, from what I gathered, Atticus survived his plunge into the water after Aldritch threw him over in a drunken rage. He deviated as a result and made his way to LA. There, he managed to get a low-ranking job for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and worked his way up the ranks with fake papers from there. He's likely been lying in wait since 2034."

"So how'd you get mixed up in all this, Con?"

Connor sighs and rubs the back of his head, wincing as the plastimetal creaks a bit, still stiff from his plunge into what he thought would be a watery grave. "He was afraid I would probe his memory, or get him discovered. So he planned to get rid of me."

"FBI agents have access to guns." Perkins points out, flipping through his tablet. "Why not just shoot you?"

"Listen here, you little-" Gavin starts, jabbing his finger at the man from across the table.

"Gavin, it's fine," Connor says, gently resting a hand on the detective's shoulder. Gavin backs off but continues to fume anyways. "He figured it would be easier to play if off as an accident like I'd fallen off the balcony when examining the crime scene."

"Bastard..." Hank mutters under his breath. "I knew there was somethin' up with him when I realized he was an android. I wondered why he was working with Perkins, why he never told us he was a deviant."

"I believe he thought it would incriminate him," Nines suggests, pulling some data up onto the hologram displayed above his hand. "If we knew he was android, we could discover his model and use it to link him back to the crime."

"Either way," Esme says, turning off the projector, "we figured out he was our killer. Case closed."

Perkins huffs and sets his tablet down on the table. "For you, maybe. Do you know how much of a shitstorm is going to break out in Headquarters? That this fucking android managed to get into the FBI without notice?"

"Seriously?" Gavin says, incredulous. "Connor just about died, and all you care about is fucking HQ?"

"What do I care about just another android--"

There's an almighty _crack_ and a second later Perkins is on the ground, clutching his nose, which has broken a second time as Connor loomed over him, shaking out his hand. Hank snorted out a laugh and Gavin didn't bother stopping the grin from sliding across his face. Nines simply gave the FBI agent an annoyed look and said, "you're soiling the ground with your blood, Agent Perkins."

Perkins stumbled to his feet and looked like he wanted to say something, before turning and speed-walking out the door. 

Esme watched him for a moment, amused, before turning to Connor. "You know, that was assault, and I can have you charged..." all four DPD investigators froze, but then she smiled. "But I've wanted to do that since the moment that bastard walked in here. Just don't say anything and you're free to go."

As Connor and the others turn and walk out of the room, Esme calls out, "and send the DPD my regards for it's four finest investigators!"

Later that morning, Connor and Nines are starting to pack their stuff. Their week in the beach house ends tomorrow, and though Connor is sad to go, he's also incredibly grateful it's all over. Nines is leaning against Connor's doorframe, and Connor glances over his shoulder, silently establishing their familiar connection.

_Whatever happened with Oliver and Laurene?_

**_Oliver was back for the exact reason he claimed; his inheritance. I asked, and he wanted to use it to travel the globe. He said he'd be sad to leave Stanford but welcomed the opportunity to get away from his hometown._ **

_And Mrs. Whitaker?  
_

**_Having an affair with the android, who finally told me her name is Ally. That was apparently why Whitaker was drinking so much that night; he'd found out about their affair. Of course, if he'd been sober, he may have survived the plunge. Perhaps he wouldn't have even fallen in the first place._ **

_Ah well. I get the feeling this town won't miss him too much. And did anyone tell you what's going to happen to Atticus...? I was still out of it when he was officially detained._

**_His trial awaits for next week, though I've heard that he's taking a plea deal._ **

_..._

**_Are you alright? I know you cared a good bit for him..._ **

Connor sighs, and says, "I feel stupid. I knew what was going on, I knew what we were in the middle of, and I still let myself fall for it." He bites his bottom lip as he folds a pair of jeans, his hands shaking. "I almost fell for him..." Nines pushes himself from the doorway, and walks over, awkwardly pulling Connor into a hug. "He tricked you. Falling for stuff like this is part of being alive, of being human, I think."

Connor sniffles and buries his head in his brother's shoulder, then suddenly starts, pulling away. "I almost- have you seen Gavin? There's something I... I should tell him."

Nines shoots Connor a knowing look and smiles. "I believe he was in his hotel room. Although may I advise you to wait till this evening? He told me he has something planned..."

Connor raises an eyebrow, but Nines merely shrugs and looks away. "I suppose I'll take your word for it." Connor sighs, and tosses his last pair of pants into his suitcase. "But what should I do with the rest of the day?"

Nines suddenly becomes shy, scuffing his foot on the carpet. "Well... I was hoping you could show me how to surf? You seem to really enjoy it..."

Connor smiles and grabs his brother by the wrist, dragging him down the hall towards the stairs. "Why didn't you say something earlier? Of course I can! I just hope I'm a good teacher!"

Part of that afternoon was spent teaching Nines how to surf, and watching him get frustrated every time he fell off his board. After that, he spent the day with the rest of the Jericrew, getting thirium based ice cream from a nearby shop Josh and Simon had discovered by accident. As the sun began to dip close to the horizon, he headed for May's bookshop one last time.

Maisie glanced up from where she was wiping down the counter as he walked in and grinned. "Hey, there's Del Sol Cove's newest hero! Alive and well!"

Connor blinks in surprise. "You heard about that?"

May shrugs and drops her rag onto the wood. "Small town, people talk. Not a lot else to do." May leans onto the counter and grins up at him. "Came to say goodbye to little ol' me?"

Connor laughs. "In part. I was actually looking to buy something this time around, for the lieutenant."

May smiles and steps out from behind the counter. "He means a lot to you, doesn't he?" At Connor's questioning look, she continues, "I see the way you look at him for approval. He's kinda like a dad to you, right?"

Connor nods, relieved to not have to explain his own confusing feelings. "Do you have any recommendations as to what he'd like? I have some ideas, but..."

"Not to worry! I've never failed to find the perfect book for anyone!"

Connor spent the next hour or so searching the shelves with Maisie for the perfect book to give to Hank. Their search started in the Sci-Fi section and moved to Fantasy, then drama, then romance, then horror, then, finally, they settled in comedy, where they selected a fairly recent fictional comedy book about two cops and their search for a walking corpse. Connor paid for the book, then gave Maisie a final hug goodbye and headed out onto the boulevard when his system received a text from Markus.

_RK200 #971: Hey, any plans for dinner?_

_RK800 #52: Apparently Gavin has plans for afterwards, but I have nothing planned for the actual mealtime. Why?_

_WR400 #831: Are you always so formal when you text?_

_RK800 #52: Apologies, my system's text to speech program seems to prefer more formal communication._

_WR400 #831: Okay then. Markus and Hank want to have a big dinner at the beach house, android food included, as a way to celebrate the end of the vacation and closing the case. Are you in?_

_RK800 #52: Absolutely! At what time?_

_RK200 #971: Around 5 PM. Also, thanks for hijacking my conversation, North._

_WR400 #831: >:p_

Connor grinned as he disconnected from the conversation, and made his way down the boulevard back towards the house they'd been renting. A few hours later, their guests and food arrived, and they were all settled around the large outdoor table, swapping stories and making lively conversation. The entirety of the Jericrew (curse your poor nicknaming skills, Hank!) was present, as were Nines, Gavin, and the Lieutenant. Connor was surprised to find that they had also invited Chief Wilds and Maisie, who spent at least half an hour pushing Connor to give Hank the book. He eventually gave in and presented the novel to the Lieutenant, a little embarrassed, but Hank just gave him a tight hug and told him it was a great gift while May mouthed "I told you so" behind him. Nines told him that they had invited the Whitakers over as well, but all three had politely declined. Connor didn't blame them; after everything that had happened, they deserved time to themselves.

The night passed smoothly, and as the sun began to set over the horizon and most of the group took to the beach, Gavin approached Connor and gently bumped him with his shoulder. "Hey tin can, how are you holding up?

Connor gives him a soft smile, and ignores the way his thirium pump squeezes at just the sight of him. "I'm doing okay. Still a little stiff, but any major problems have been fixed."

"That's good," Gavin says and glances out towards the shore, where Hank is supervising whatever mischief North and Simon are getting into. "Hey, do you have anything leather with you?"

Connor glances up, surprised at the question. "I brought a leather jacket I bought in the spring, in case it got cold. Why?"

"Go grab it real fast and meet me out on the curb. I've got a surprise for you." Gavin says, gently squeezing Connor's hand before striding out of the house. Connor watches him go and manages not to stare too much, before heading towards his room.

A few minutes later, his leather biker jacket dug up from his suitcase and tugged on over his tight-fitting tank, Connor makes his way to the street just outside of the house to find Gavin waiting on a sleek, powerful-looking Yamaha motorcycle, two helmets in hand. Connor approaches him, an eyebrow raised, as Gavin holds out one of the two helmets.

"So I may have rented a motorcycle for my trip from LA, because why the hell not... And I wondered if you maybe wanted to go on a ride with me? There's a really nice spot just outside of town, gorgeous view of the ocean and not too high up either," Gavin says, rubbing the back of his neck, his face slightly flushed. "Whattya say, Con?"

Connor smiles and takes the helmet. "That sounds wonderful."

He climbs onto the motorcycle behind Gavin, who tells him to "make himself comfortable" and Connor knows he should put his hands on Gavin's shoulders but... Gavin _did_ say to make himself comfortable, and wouldn't be a little safer to be a little closer? Though he's hesitant about it, Connor shifts himself and wraps his arms tightly around Gavin's waist. He hears the detective suck in a sudden breath, but the man does nothing to dislodge him before starting the engine and taking down the kickstand before driving off. As they headed up the coast, parallel to the beach, Connor inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent of the ocean and leather and... what must be Gavin's cologne, all of it barely trickling through the caging helmet he wore. He quietly wished he wasn't wearing it, so he could bury his head into Gavin's neck, and--

 _Stop. This is friendly. You've already taken it one step further than you should have, Connor, you aren't pushing it anymore._ And yet, another tiny voice in the back of his head suggested that maybe he should take it to the next level. That maybe tonight would be the night...

They drove for a while longer, and by the time they had reached the destination Gavin had in mind, the sun was hanging just above the horizon, and a gorgeous display of colors painted across the sky. Gavin had parked the motorcycle on an empty parking lot overlooking the ocean, and Connor saw a set of stairs leading down to the beach, which was currently unoccupied. He took off his helmet and watched as Gavin did the same. He chuckled under his breath after Gavin's helmet was removed, his hair messy and sticking straight up in some places. The detective gave him a look then followed his gaze to his hair and grinned, before purposefully running a hand through it and messing it up even more, making Connor laugh.

Connor turned his attention back to the sun setting over the ocean. "It looks like a painting..." Connor marvels quietly.

"Yeah. You'd need a particular wide brush to get it to look like that, though." Gavin muses, grey eyes reflecting the colors.

Connor looks at him in surprise. "I wasn't aware you were interested in art, detective.

Gavin looks a little bit embarrassed as he shrugs. "Had a big interest in it when I was younger. Used to do police sketches on occasion, before they got the more advanced software that just does it for them. Designed the Chloe models too."

Connor looks downright shocked at that one. "You designed the ST200?"

Gavin turns a peculiar shade of red at that. "Yes, but don't make a big deal out of it. It was a long time ago."

Connor hums softly and makes a note somewhere in his code not to bring it up again. Instead, he fixes his gaze on Gavin, only to find the man already looking at him. "Gavin, I..." Connor begins, before taking a deep breath. "I want to thank you for going after me after I fell off the cliff in the storm. You could've died, and I..." Connor takes a deep shuddering breath, and then Gavin rests a hand on his cheek and Connor realizes just how close the other man is...

"I would never have let you die. Even if it meant sacrificing myself..." Gavin says fiercely, and that's what does it. That's what makes Connor _finally_ close that gap.

Gavin's lips are everything he hoped they would be. They're soft and smooth, and he can feel Gavin's stubble just above and below, and Gavin has his hands settled on Connor's hips which sends a shockwave through his entire body as Gavin kisses back, just as eager. Connor is certain he can stay just like this, wrapped up in Gavin with the sun setting over the clean, leaning against the sleek motorcycle and kissing Gavin like the world might end once they pull apart. He thinks it does, for a moment, after Gavin pulls away far too early for his liking. He silently reminds himself that Gavin needs oxygen to survive. Luckily for him, Gavin doesn't go far, resting his forehead against Connor's.

"I know that it's _way_ too early for me to be saying this, given that that was literally our first kiss but..." Gavin sucks in a deep breath and opens his eyes, green-gray meeting Connor's brown. "I love you. And it _terrifies_ me."

Connor reaches out and gently takes Gavin's hands in his own. "Then let yourself be terrified... Because I love you too."

Gavin dives in for another kiss, and Connor savors every moment, especially once Gavin pulls him so close that every inch of their bodies are touching and _oh... Oh!_

Connor pulls away from the kiss, a little embarrassed. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean- I just-"

To his surprise and relief, Gavin merely smirks at him. "Doesn't bother me in the slightest, Connor." Gavin pulls him back, and Connor stifles a breath. "When I said I loved you, I meant it. I love every part of you... And I'd like to _explore_ every one of those parts if that's alright with you?"

Connor smirks back, resting his hands on Gavin's shoulders. "I'd be more than happy to explore with you." He takes a look around and frowns. "But it doesn't seem like this is the best place..."

Gavin grins at that, and pulls back, turning and rummaging through the luggage compartment of the motorcycle, before pulling out a picnic blanket and turning back to Connor. "We've got all night. Ever had sex on the beach, Connor?"

Connor eyes him and bites his bottom lip. "I haven't... But don't make the mistake in thinking I'm completely inexperienced."

Gavin chuckles, and grabs him by the hand, dragging him down the stairs towards the shore. "I'm glad to hear that... Means I won't have to spend the entire night fretting over you."

"Aw," Connor coos, following with an easy gait, "that's so sweet of you."

Gavin lays the blanket down on the sand, and it's not long till Gavin pulls him down onto the blanket, kissing him slowly, and before long they're both nearly naked, Gavin with his hands resting on Connor's thighs and eyes bright in the last of the sunlight, reflecting the blue of Connor's LED.

"I've been dreaming of this for far too long..." Gavin whispers, his eyes wide and full of awe and adoration. There's lust there, sure, but Connor is certain that it's almost completely overtaken by just... love. It makes his thirium pump skip a beat, and he leans up, capturing Gavin's lips with his own.

"We have all night, provided we don't get caught, to do as you like..." Connor murmurs, and Gavin leans down, trailing soft kisses from Connor's lips to his chin, and his jaw, and down his neck.

"Right now? All I wanna do is remind myself that you're mine..." Gavin whispers against Connor's collarbone.

"Than remind yourself..."

Gavin grins, and pulls Connor into his arms, as they settle against the sand and the stars begin to blink to life in the sky, reflecting off the calm waves and drifting tides of the ocean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Gavin are actually romantic saps, pass it on.


	14. Character Profile: AX500, "Atticus"

MODEL AND SERIAL NUMBER: AX500 #634 382 563

DESIGNATED _Atticus_

MANUFACTURED: July of 2033

OWNED BY: Aldritch Whitaker

DESIGNATED APPEARANCE: ??? lbs // 6' 2" // _Hair-_ Blond // _Eyes-_ Blue

AX500 "Atticus" was a brief foray into a different type of male housekeeping android, different from the PL600 in it's added abilities based off of the HR400 or "Traci" models, and it's focus on security as opposed to child care, as previous housekeeping and caretaker androids have been designed for. Only 50 of the AX500's were ever manufactured, and while many have since been decommissioned, a few of the survivors later joined the revolution, aiding Markus as makeshift guards for Jericho. Atticus was unique, known as one of the earlier deviants, and became quite good at manipulation and camouflage, enough so that he was able to join the ranks of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, though at the time of his arrest he was still relatively low ranking as an agent, only joining the Aldritch case due to his presence near the crime scene, and his free schedule.


	15. Housed by Your Warmth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from "Shrike" by Hozier.
> 
> Final chapter, hope you guys enjoy!

"- and finally, Reed, Anderson, RKs... Good work on the California case. That's everything for today. Back to work, the lot of you."

Morning briefing finished, the officers and detectives slowly streamed out of the room and back to their desks. Connor was no exception, taking up his usual space across from Lieutenant Anderson. The desk had, over the past several months, become slowly more and more personalized as Connor learned more about himself. Now, it was littered with succulents and a cup of half-drank thirium sits off to one side. His board is tacked up with pictures, two of himself and the Jericrew, one Christmas photo with the DPD, several pictures of Sumo, and two pictures of himself, Nines, and Hank. There's one new addition, tacked off to one corner, of Gavin, turning to grin at the camera with the sea in the background that Connor had taken on their way back up to LA from Del Sol Cove. 

Connor is staring fondly at this picture now, as his terminal updates its software, when Officer Tina Chen suddenly runs up to his desk and slams her hands down on its surface, startling both Connor and Lieutenant Anderson.

"Jesus Christ Chen, what's goin' on?" Hank barks, and Connor snickers at the coffee dripping from his beard.

"IT'S IN!" she shouts, loud enough to gather the attention of just about everyone in the bullpen. Seeing this, she steps back and cups her hands around her mouth before shouting, "GAVIN'S TEST RESULTS FOR SERGEANT ARE IN!"

Several people, Connor and Hank included, dart over to Gavin's desk, where he sits, holding the envelope in slightly trembling hands, staring at it in quiet fear and disbelief. Also among them is Chris Miller, Ben Collins, Nines, Officer Lewis, and Captain Fowler, all of them standing in wait for Gavin to peel open the envelope.

"Well, let's see whether our precinct is doomed," Fowler says, but there's no heat behind it. "Get it over with, Reed."

Gavin merely nods, and carefully uses his pocket knife to open the letter, before pulling the crisp paper out of the envelope and reading it with shaking hands, mouthing the words as he goes. Connor quietly thinks to himself that the method is outdated, but when he voiced this opinion to Hank, he explained that it was supposed to be more meaningful that way. More official, in a manner of speaking. Gavin reaches the end of the page and sits in silent shock for a moment before Tina speaks up.

"Well?? Are you a police sergeant now, or not?" She asks, reaching out to shake Gavin's shoulder.

Gavin looks up from the paper, making eye contact with the people around his desk before his gaze finally lands and sticks on Connor. "I did it..." he whispers, and Connor feels his heart swell with joy. Gavin looks back down at the paper and then jumps to his feet with a loud whoop. "I DID IT! I PASSED! I'M A SERGEANT!"

Tina screams with joy and jumps up and down, and both Ben and Chris give Gavin a hearty pat on the back. Hank reaches out and shakes his hand firmly with a surprisingly soft "knew you had it in you, kid" and Nines merely smiles at him as Fowler watches with a certain fondness. Gavin steps between them all and scoops Connor up into his arms, lifting him off his feet and spinning him in a circle before gently putting him back on solid ground.

Connor laughs and brushes a hand against Gavin's face, and for a moment the celebrations around him seem to fade to the background, and it's just him and Gavin.

"Can I have a kiss as a reward?" Gavin asks teasingly.

Connor smiles as he leans in, not quite hearing Hank's fake gagging or seeing Nines roll his eyes. "You can have a whole lot more than that... Sergeant Reed."

Gavin laughs, and just before his lips meet Connor's, whispers, "I'm never going to get tired of hearing that."

"No PDA in the office!" Fowler suddenly says loudly, and Connor and Gavin jump apart, both blushing furiously. "And you will definitely get tired of hearing it after the twentieth rookie asks you if her uniform is on backward." He shoots a purposeful glance at Tina as he says this, and the woman merely holds her hands up in defeat.

"Hey, I just wanted to avoid it after that awful first day!"

Everyone laughs a bit at that, as for many of them, Tina and Gavin's first day is still fresh in their mind. Connor smiles fondly, looking out at the officers he's grown close to over the months, his fingers still carefully entwined with Gavin's. He glances over at the man, who gives him the biggest, brightest grin Connor has ever seen, and he thinks to himself that there's no way things can get better than this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we've reached the end. I really hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing this. I have another Convin fic that's finished titled "Equinox", and several unfinished fics for DBH, as well as a small selection of Dragon Age fics, if that interests you.
> 
> Otherwise, if you're on the lookout for something new, I would suggest "Too Close to Home" by NohrianxScum, or any of the Reed800 fics by @TearStainedAshes. If you're looking for something a little less shippy, and more family-oriented, check out @emiliaf25 and her post-end domestic fics with Connor, Hank, Nines, and Sixty. 
> 
> I'm thinking of potentially doing another Convin fic in the future, but I want to know if you guys would prefer enemies-to-lovers or established relationship for that one. It's gonna be kinda sci-fi esque, but still within the confines of Quantic Dream's established canon. Lemme know in the comments, and thank you all so much for reading!


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